Terry Frei

Nederland marshal resigns over altitude, interim is local resident

Jim Matheney recently resigned as Nederland town marshal about six months after accepting the job, telling town officials that he couldn't adjust to the 8,400-foot altitude.

Matheney, who started in March, came from a job as the captain in charge of patrol for a police department in a suburb of Detroit to oversee the Nederland department, which has five officers and one sergeant.

Matheney addressed the community at a recent town board meeting to respond to rumors that included his leaving because of an attack by aliens, said Town Administrator Alisha Reis. She said he wanted to make it clear that he was only leaving for medical reasons.

"He simply has not physically acclimated to the altitude," she said. "We really thought he was going to be a long term hire. He was really great. It's just a shame."

Commuting wasn't an option, she said, because Nederland requires the marshal to live within five miles of town.

Before he left, she said, Matheney helped the town find an interim marshal. His replacement, Paul Carrill, moved to Nederland after retiring in 2012 from a job as a sheriff department division commander in Kansas City, Missouri.

Nederland Mayor Joe Gierlach said the town board recently approved hiring Matheney as the interim marshal for six months, adding that the town is lucky because "we continue to attract people who are really overqualified."

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Carrill said he's familiar with the community after volunteering with several different organizations, including serving as a docent at the Nederland Mining Museum and working with the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group.

His plans as interim marshal include a baseline audit of the department.

"Based on the needs of the community, I felt like I could offer some help," he said. "The community won't see any big changes. The officers are doing a wonderful job."

If the audit is complete before the six months are up, he said, he plans to start working on a strategic plan.

"The department has incredible potential," he said.

Reis said the town isn't currently planning a search to fill the position. Instead, she said, the next six months will give both the town and Carrill an opportunity to decide if it's a good fit.

"We didn't want to go through a full search," she said. "We just wanted to give everybody a break and maintain some consistency for the rest of the year."

Carrill said the community should also be included in the decision of whether he continues as marshal.

"A lot of people will have input and say in their next leader of the police department," he said. "I look forward to hearing comments and suggestions."